The present invention relates to an electronic imaging apparatus and, more particularly, to an electronic imaging apparatus for image recording or image processing with improved operation control and application properties.
Among prior art electronic imaging apparatuses for recording or processing image information in a recording media, an apparatus has been proposed in which sound data corresponding to image information is also recorded. FIG. 17 shows a construction example of a prior art electronic imaging apparatus of this type, as an electronic still camera or still picture camera.
As shown in FIG. 17, lens 1 focuses a subject image on CCD 2 as an image sensor for conversion to an electric image signal. The image signal is processed in image signal processor 3 and then converted in A/D converter 4 to digital image data for recording in frame memory 5. The image data from A/D converter 4 is also converted in D/A converter 14 into an analog signal, which is supplied to video output terminal 16 and to EVF (Electronic View Finder) 15 for display on a monitor.
Write and read control of frame memory 5 are performed by frame memory controller 6. Image data read out from frame memory 5 is compressed in image data compressing/decompressing circuit 7 and then recorded on recording medium 10 via interface 9. A system controller 8 controls the overall apparatus in response to instruction signals from operation switches 13A to 13J via operation switch section 12. A display unit (LCD) 11 displays the prevailing operating state.
In an image play-back mode, the image information is played-back through a reverse process. More specifically, the image data read out from recording medium 10 is supplied through interface 9 to image data compressing/decompressing circuit 7, for decompression before being recorded in frame memory 5. Image data that is read out from frame memory 5 is converted in D/A converter 14 into an analog signal, which is played-back on a monitor via EVF 15 or video output terminal 16.
When recording sound signal, a sound from microphone 21 or external line input terminal 22 is pre-processed in sound pre-processor 20 to a predetermined pre-processing and then converted in A/D converter 19 to digital sound data before being recorded in sound memory 18. The sound data is then coded in a sound coder/decoder 17 prior to being recorded on recording medium 10 via interface 9.
In sound play-back, sound data read out from recording medium 10 via interface 9 is decoded in sound coder/decoder 17, converted in D/A converter 23 into an analog signal, and then subjected in sound post-processor 24 to a predetermined sound processing before being supplied to sound output terminal 25 or to loudspeaker 26.
Various well-known camera operation instruction switches are connected to an operation switch section 12. These switches are trigger 1 switch 13A, trigger 2 switch 13B, minus (&lt;) switch 13C, plus (&gt;) switch 13D, recording/play-back (REC/PLAY) switch 13E, picture/sound (PICT/SOUND) switch 13F, play-back mode switch 13G, normal mode switch 13H, high speed continuous recording switch 13I, and low speed continuous recording switch 13J. In either continuous recording mode, the repetition of shooting is done at an interval.
In the above construction, heretofore an exclusive operation switch has been provided for recording sound information corresponding to image information, and the switch has been operated for recording and reproduction of sound information.
Since in the prior art electronic imaging apparatus a separately provided exclusive switch is operated for recording and reproduction of sound information, not only is the operation complicated, but the construction of the apparatus is also complicated.